Appaeatus foe chaeging furnaces



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. R. WARD. APPARATUS FDR CHARGING FURNACES. I No. 457,063. Patented Aug. 4, 1891.

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' G. R. WARD.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING FURNAGBS.

Patented Aug. 4', 1891.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. XVARD, OF MUNHALL, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES PURVES, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,063, dated August 4, 1891.

Application filed January 26, 1891.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. WARD, of Munhall, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Charging Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in which- Figure l is a plan view showing a mill plant provided with my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on the line II II of Fig. 1.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of apparatus used for charging metallurgical furnaces, principally openhearth furnaces. The labor of introducing the heavy charge of metalinto such furnaces by hand has led to the adoption of machines by which boxes containing the charge are introduced into the furnace and discharged therein. The contents of a number of such boxes must be used to make up a furnacecharge, and in the appliances heretofore used it has been found that much time is lostand labor unprofitably spent in handling the boxes, bringing them full to and removing them empty from the machine. My invention reduces such labor and makes the handling of the boxes easy and rapid.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 2 represent open-hearth furnaces, which may be of any suitable construction, and 3 3 are the bins in which the material to be charged into the furnaces is stored.

4 is a continuous overhead track which extends from the bins in front of the furnaces, and is supported by posts 5 or other suitable means. On this track are a' number of trolleys 19, each provided with devices-such as tongs or books and chains 20-by which the charge-boxes 21 maybe suspended and carried.

The charging-machine B is mounted on wheels 6, and is adapted to be moved on a track 7 back and forth in front of the furnaces.

The special form of machine shown in the drawings is not of my invention and is not claimed specifically herein apart from the combination with the other parts of the ap- Serial No. 379,179. (No model.)

hearings on the carriage, and at its rear end' has a threaded portion, on which is fitted a nut let, connected with the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder 15, on projecting which the nut is moved longitudinally on the shaft, thus giving the latter a rotary motion designed to overturn the cradle and to empty the con tents of a box carried thereby. The cradle.

is adapted to be moved vertically by the following means: At its rear end the carriage 10 is connected pivotally at 18 with its slidebearing, which supports it on the truck, and at its front end the bearings on which the carriage moves are suspended by hangers 16 from the plunger of an upright lifting-cylinder 17, which is mounted on the truck. By admitting motive fluid to this cylinder the carriage and the cradle carried thereby may be raised or lowered on the pivot 18, as may be desired, for the purposes hereinafterstated.

The cradle 12 is of proper construction to receive a box containing the metal charge, and is provided with suitable appliances, by which such box may be locked in place.

The operation of my improved apparatus, when constructed as above described, is as follows: A suitable number of boxes containing the material to be charged are suspended from the trolleys and are moved from the bins along the overhead track to positions in front of the furnaces. The chargingmachine is moved on its track into position opposite to the furnace to be charged, and the cradle is brought directly beneath the overhead track. A trolley carrying a full box is then brought directly over the cradle, and b the action of the lifting-cylinder 17 the cradle is raised up to the box, and the box is lifted thereby so that the chains 20 can be disengaged. The box is then looked in the cradle, and by projecting the carriage is introduced into the furnace. By action of the cylinder 15 the cradle can be upturned so as to empty the contents of the box upon the furnacehearth, and then can be righted, Withdrawn from the furnace, and brought again under the trolley. Then by raising the cradle, as above described, the chains can be connected to the box, the box unlocked from the cradle, and by dropping the cradle again the box is left suspended from the trolley and free to be moved away on the track to the bins for reloading. The next trolley and box may then be moved over the cradle, the box received by the cradle and putiuto the furnace, as described above. The Work of handling the boxes is thus made very simple, since they may be run on the track close to each other and but a small moment of time taken in setting and removing them in and from the cradle. ing of labor and in dispensing with the necessity for the use of locomotives and cars or traveling cranes for handling the boxes.

I claim- In apparatus for charging furnaces, the combination, with a charging-machine having a box-support or cradle and means for delivering the same to the furnace, of an overhead track, trolleys mounted thereon, boxes suspended from the trolleys, and means for causing the vertical approach of the cradle and box, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of January, A. D. 1891.

GEORGE R. WARD. Witnesses:

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, F. K. MCCANCE.

I obtain advantage also in sav-' 

